[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 903
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says that a sadhu [holy man] came to Dakshineswar [the Kali Temple precinct and compound at which Sri Ramakrishna was based] and his name was Jatadhari. Jatadhari used to worship Sri Rama [the great Indian incarnation] in the child form called Ramlala. And Ramlala [in the form of a murthi (little statue/image) made from eight different metals] was worshipped by the sadhu.The sadhu after many years actually used to see Ramlala [i.e. the deity had become living and manifest to him] laughing, joking, playing, splashing in the Ganges [river Ganga], having a dive, swimming there and sometimes the sadhu used to get so fed up [lovingly frustrated] because Ramlala now used to run away to [see] Sri Ramakrishna.
Now everyone used to think that the sadhu was mad. But not Ramakrishna. One day Ramakrishna [also] saw Ramlala come walking into his room [at the Kali temple premises]. Master asked, 'What do you want?' Ramlala said to Ramakrishna, 'I like you more than the sadhu. I want to come and be with you.' [Swamiji chuckles] So Ramakrishna told him to go back to the sadhu. He wouldn't budge. So Ramakrishna tells how he then used to feed Ramlala and sometimes the boy-deity would become such a nuisance to him, too [Swamiji says 'now remember this…'] such a nuisance that I want to sit down he won't let me sit. He clambers up on my head, he pulls me this way and that. I used to tell the sadhu, 'Take him away.' The sadhu even used to whack [smack] him. But he would not go with the sadhu.
Swamiji: This is true. Ramakrishna used to say, 'In the end I used to be so fed up [tired of his pranks and play] that one day I took him to the Ganges. There I am trying to have a bath and this fellow is worrying me.' Who was worrying Ramakrishna? Ramlala.
I got so fed up with him says Ramakrishna, that 'I took him and pushed his head under the water. And when I found him choking I was so pained that I had hurt the most tender thing under the sun. I cried and I wept', he says. Swamiji: Huh? Can you imagine people speak ill [condescendingly] of murti [image, picture, statue, representation] worship? And here the sadhu used to worship the [physical] murti [statue] and yet he used to see [made visible by God's grace to him] that Ramlala [the boy aspect of Lord Rama] manifested out of [the solid physical murti] and going about playing.
The sadhu used to cook food at midday and feed the boy. Sometimes he used to call for Ramlala and Ramlala wouldn't come back from Ramakrishna's room. The sadhu used to be really cross. In the end, one day, the sadhu came [to Sri Ramakrishna] and said, 'Look, Ramlala says he wants to stay with you and I think he's happy with you. And for the sake of his happiness I want to leave him with you.'
Swamiji: What a great sacrifice that is. Can you imagine what some of you will say. Oh the sadhu just said, let him stay with you. But if your child says he does not want to go [home with you]? Supposing you went [from Durban] to Pretoria [South African cities] to visit somebody and your child began crying and saying, 'No I don't want to leave here. I don't want to go from here.' What would you do? If you leave the child there, it's a great sacrifice, isn't it? But here the greatest sacrifice was made by the sadhu because it took him years to make that murthi alive [to have that level of spiritual realisation]. Years it took him to have the darshan [vision, manifestation, revelation] of Sri Rama [God] – as Ramlala, in the form of a little boy. And yet the sadhu's sacrifice was so complete [perfect] that he said to Ramakrishna, 'He wants to live with you. For God's happiness I will leave God here.' [Swamiji laughing gently]. [Repeats] For God's happiness I'll leave God here with you. And that is what it means. That for Ramlal's happiness - he's happy with you - I'll leave him. And he cries and weeps and goes away.
Swamiji: What a great sacrifice this is that the bhakta [sadhu devotee] has made. The bhakta, after having had the darshan of the Lord, was still prepared to give that Lord to another bhakta but in the end it is found that Sri Ramakrishna was the same Rama [avatar or incarnation] and the same Krishna. And that murthi – the Ramlala murthi that he left is still in Kamarpukur [the birthplace of Sri Ramakrishna]. It is kept there, where you can go and have darshan [sight of and blessing from it] and I can go and have darshan. Darshan with a difference. That we don't see it moving. We don't see it eating and drinking. He [Ramlala] used to pull [tug at] Sri Ramakrishna, you could see the clothes [dhoti] falling [coming loose] from Ramakrishna. He [Ramlala] used to break [pluck] the flowers, by force you'll find the flowers breaking but nobody sees what is happening, they can only see the flower falling [but not him plucking it]. The clothes are pulled but nobody can see Ramlala except Ramakrishna and the sadhu.
1) Care should be taken by the reader to understand and take Swamiji's words in these postings, in context. Every teaching or instruction that he gave was specific to the people who were with Swamiji at the time.
2) Mouse-over the words highlighted in red in the posting for further explanation or links.
There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.
For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below:
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites - please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham
